Update V: (WDEL) Michelle Provencher reports ~ Council President Theo Gregory responds to Foxtail Fest
Update IV: I am listening to Al Mascitti on WDEL right now and he calls attention to Allan Loudell's blog ~ Velda Jones-Potter: You gotta do more than just appear on your husband's public access TV show!
Update III: The Potters have to be aware that public perception is their direct responsibility. Who didn't think for a minute that as Velda Potter sat as an agent for Foxtail Fest and negotiated terms for her son's for-profit event that there was a cloud in the background that her husband, the Mayor's cousin, was the STATE REPRESENTATIVE to the General Assembly and held authority over law and budget considerations that impact the city? Come on. And there's always the connection to the Governor who appointed her to finish out the term of his vacated State Treasurer's seat. The Potters wield influence. They reek of it. It is their burden and they blew it.
Also: On his show, Herman Holloway drew attention to this News Journal Op-Ed yesterday ~ Our View: It's time mayor delivers on his promises
Citizens expect any new mayor to make a false turn or two at the start of an administration. By 10 months in, the citizens are right to expect the opening-day jitters would be gone. That is why last week’s revelation that the son of a prominent administration official received special privileges at taxpayer expense was so outrageous. The problem had to be set right.
Velda Jones-Potter’s dismissal Friday as Mayor Dennis Williams’ chief strategist is a first step on that path.
Mrs. Potter’s role as a valued administration player was clearly compromised by persistent rumors about her and her husband’s — State Rep. Charles Potter — behind-the-scene roles in shaping the mayor’s agenda and influencing City Hall decisions. That included, at one point, the hiring of the couple’s son Brandon for a $48,000 job. Rep. Potter, a cousin of the mayor, replaced him as Wilmington’s [first] district representative to the General Assembly.
Last Saturday’s all-day hip-hop festival organized by a for-profit company owned by the Potters’ son crystallized months of frustration with the Williams’ administration. Twenty Wilmington police officers and some city ambulance personnel were paid with city funds to staff the event. As a matter of duty to taxpayers, city policy has long required private groups to pay the bills for their own private security costs.
Wilmington residents have every right to know what is going on and why this event was somehow different. It makes sense that the taxpayers should not subsidize a single for-profit operation when other groups have to pay their own costs. It also makes sense for taxpayers to question such a privilege when the operation has such a close personal connection with high-level members of the administration.
In truth, the episode is just one of a number of avoidable stumbles that have occurred since voters chose Mr. Williams to address the fiscal and public crime problems of the state’s largest municipality with his fresh ideas. He campaigned hard and eclipsed his contenders with tough talk about his prior experience as a police officer and member of the General Assembly’s Joint Finance Committee. Yet he wasted much political capital in a budget battle with City Council that was rejected by the Court of Chancery. His promise to rid the city of its “thug” elements with a community policing strategy that set neighborhood safety as a top priority swept him to the lead in a race of four other mayoral contenders. Complaints have been growing from a number of quarters that the mayor was often out of reach, that his office did not return promised phone calls.
Mayor Williams’ supporters and residents still wait for the leadership of a principled city executive the candidate promised, one whose vision is not clouded by family loyalty and the inability to settle smaller policy differences with council through negotiation as opposed to threatening the council member’s arrest. Making that winning campaign a reality is still among his do-able options.
The taxpayers of Wilmington now need full answers to the questions raised about the cost of the public safety protection at the recent concert. Rules for organizations to follow are already in place. They must be reasserted and the public should be reassured by action that the rules would be followed.
Mr. Williams still has more than three years to go in his administration. Let’s hope the mayor uses the outcome of this episode to reset the course of his relationship with his constituents — both city residents and the City Council.
Update II: More from (News Journal) Matthew Albright today ~ Velda Jones-Potter says Foxtail Fest did not ask for Wilmington police officers
There are still too many holes in Velda Potter's story. How many free police did she expect? 20? What is the total number of volunteer police on duty that day and why did all of the other event organizers contract for and pay directly for city security and not Foxtail Fest?
Why didn't Velda Potter discuss the free EM and public works department services received for her event? And yes, we now know it was her event since she represented Foxtail Fest at city meetings where she was evidently negotiating for exceptions and exemptions from city regulations although she claims none of the final decisions had a thing to do with her.
Ultimately, as a highly positioned Mayoral appointee, she broke the public trust by personally fronting a business venture for her son's gain and receiving many city perks no one else would have received. That is the key of propriety. You break it by perception as much as anything and she should have known how all of this would be perceived.
Also, I am glad to see the paper covering a live leased access teevee show!
Update I: Correction @2:30: Liz Allen is on the teevee instead of Charles Potter. We'll see if he shows up at some point today. His show goes until 4PM
oops, Mayor Dennis Williams and the Potters break bad over the WhatScene? Productions- Foxtail Fest fisaco.
I say that even though they cut loose Velda Potter, the Williams administration has to release the FOIA'd information requested by the News Journal. The public very much wants to know just how many public hours Mrs. Potter worked with her son developing this event, much less how many public dollars were spent on security and clean up.
Charles Potter has been advertizing the event for months on his television show and his wife has admitted working on it during office hours, albeit taking vacation time. She said that too when she was caught working on the city contract while also being paid to be the State Treasurer appointee. Is Double Dipping now her M.O.?
Delaware Liberal writes ~ Williams’ Mayoralty Headed for Potter’s Field?
(News Journal) Adam Taylor reports today ~ Jones-Potter tells Wilmington City Council she acted properly
And more from Andrew Staub ~
Jones-Potter no longer Wilmington mayor Dennis Williams' strategy adviserFoxtail fallout: Jones-Potter 'no longer with the Williams administration'
Unlike Foxtail Fest, other events foot costs for police coverage
Wilmington taxpayers foot bills for police, cleanup at Foxtail Fest
On the Scene: Foxtail Festival
And by KingDom Draper at Allhiphop.com writes ~ Hip-hop-heavy Foxtail Fest arrives Saturday at Wilmington Riverfront
Everybody has a dream, and for three friends this weekend could turn that into a reality.Meanwhile, Elizabeth Allen says ~
Brandon Potter, 23, is a music lover and former Wilmington special events and projects coordinator who wanted to see a live music festival in his area. So inspired by the success of the Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Brandon teamed with Curtis Matthias, 21, and Geoff “Champs” Vanover, 23, who have the same passion and vision. The trio began their journey by doing extensive research on what it would take to put on an event of that magnitude. Their first step was to acquire a business license for their marketing company WhatScene?, which plans events, promotes music and updates a blog weekly with new music.
A year later, the three will see their dream realized as the first Foxtail Festival will go down Saturday at Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park in Wilmington, headlined by Bad Boy Records star Machine Gun Kelly..........Q: So how did the vision for the Foxtail Festival start?
Potter: Well I’ve always wanted to have a music festival here in the local area. I’m a music lover and go to so many great shows all over but I always wanted to see more live concerts come to the Delaware area.
..........Q: What was the first step you took in the process of putting this event together?
Potter: Well, I partnered up with Curt and Geoff because they both shared the same vision that I had. The first thing that I did was go get a business license for our company. Nobody will take you seriously without that in the first place. Then through this year we have been going through the proper channels. Shout out Mayor Williams, he has been a huge supporter.
.........Q: Why do you think that certain venues are apprehensive to book hip-hop artists?
Vanover: I think that it has to do with the negative stigma that hip-hop has around it. But there are also a lot of fans that aren’t looking for trouble. You shouldn’t have to worry about stuff getting out of hand.
Potter: There will be plenty of police and security, safety is definitely a priority.
"Facts are funny things. Be sure to tune in to Comcast Chan. 28 today at 2:30 and hear some.........This isn't the whole story! The Potters met with City officials and agencies within the city for over three months. They completed all the necessary paperwork, hired their own security and clean up staff and that bill was paid on 9/14........The Potters will be at the table to answer any questions and with evidence in hand. The Mayor will have to answer many questions as to what really happened here, the ball is in his court. Every meeting Velda Potter attended with city officials in relation to this event, she took vacation time, not city time. It is amazing to me this event went off without an incident, with a diverse group of young people. If the city is interested in developing and creating events to bring young people into the city, this charade will give pause in the future. If the Mayor wont back up his own staff with the truth, what does that say about him and his administration, who will trust him?"
(various facebook images)
~*~
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